MARCH
The stormy March has come at last,
With winds and clouds and changing skies
Bryant
A tidal bore on the River Seine at Quillebeuf, March 9, 1860
March 1
1910 An avalanche swept a passenger train trapped by snow into a gorge at Wellington, Washington, U.S.A. 96 persons were killed and 22 saved.
March 2
1856 Awu Volcano in the Molluca Islands erupted, accompanied by lava flows, floods of boiling water, a seismic sea wave and a tempest. 2,800 persons died.
March 3
1913 The ship Scotia, fitted with a wireless transmitter, sailed for the North Atlantic ice area to broadcast information on ice sightings.
March 4
1787 William Herschel observed projecting points of light on the planet Uranus, and suspected the existence of rings. In 1977 Uranian rings were confirmed.
March 5
1587 A 'star' was seen on the dark part of the crescent Moon, from England, directly between the points of her horns.
March 6
1898 An enormous avalanche fell 5,750 feet (1,752 m.) at 225 m.p.h. (362 km/hr.) from the summit of the Vorderglärnisch, Switzerland. The snow cloud blotted out the Sun and the valley.
March 7
1744 De Cheseaux's Comet was an unique body with six major tails each 19,000,000 miles (30,000,000 km.) long. In March the comet was visible in full daylight.
March 8
1240 According to Matthew Paris, a wind beyond measure perturbed the whole air in England during the morning.
March 9
1830 Fresh herrings, some still alive, were strewn over the fields of Islay, Argyllshire, after a day of heavy rain.
March 10
1933 A violent earthquake rocked Los Angeles, followed by three lesser shocks. The city of Long Beach was 75 per cent damaged.
March 11
1912 A thunderstorm in Hampshire and Sussex was accompanied by intense darkness or a greenish-yellow gloom. Inky black rain fell, smelling of tar.
March 12
1876 The mountain Korokami-yama in Japan was shaken with a great shock and emitted a loud noise. A strong smell of sulphur lasted 6 hours.
March 13
1781 William Herschel discovers the planet Uranus while telescopically observing stars in Gemini. This was the first major planet to be discovered since prehistory.
March 14
1932 A rain of 'manna' fell from a cloudless sky upon a field at Vryheid, South Africa. The ground was covered with white grains which tasted like honey.
March 15
1885 The scientist Trumholt in Norway took the first known photograph of the aurora borealis. The exposure time was 8½ minutes.
March 16
1950 A Dr. Craig Hunter reported that a disc about 100 feet (30 m.) wide moved with a hissing whistle over his car on Route 153 in Pennsylvania. The disc's speed was about 70 m.p.h. (113 km/hr.)
March 17
1669 A putrid rain fell in France. Great drops of thick, stinking, reddish liquid left prints on walls. It was believed to be stagnant pond water raised by a whirlwind.
March 18
1925 Perhaps the most violent tornado ever recorded touched down in Missouri at 1 pm. and travelled 219 miles (352 km.) at speeds of up to 73 m.p.h. (117 km/hr.) 695 persons were killed.
March 19
1886 At 7 pm it became dark as midnight in 5 minutes at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The darkness lasted 10 minutes and then passed off. It was a 'wave of total darkness' which passed from west to east.
March 20
1168 Trivetus says that a globe of fire was seen moving to and fro in the air at an undisclosed location.
March 21
1791 A storm off Jutland caused one of the severest floods of the 18th Century in the River Elbe as it inundated Hamburg.
March 22
1870 A peculiar circular cloud, with four rays and a curved tail, was seen in the equatorial Atlantic from the barque Lady of the Lake. It moved against the wind for half an hour until dark.
March 23
1913 A tornado with a path 40 miles (64 km.) long and a quarter of a mile wide wrecked Omaha, Nebraska, at 6 pm. 103 persons died. Hail, sleet and rain accompanied the storm.
March 24
1878 The full-rigged sail training ship H.M.S. Eurydice was sunk by a line squall off the Isle of Wight. 398 persons were lost.
March 25
1655 Huygens identified the true nature of Saturn's rings and discovered the planet's largest satellite, Triton.
March 26
1859 Dr. Lescarbault telescopically observed a circular dark body crossing the Sun. The astronomer Leverrier believed it to be an intraMercurian planet which he named Vulcan.
March 27
1612 The earliest date on which the cherry trees of Kyoto in Japan have flowered, in a record extending from AD 812 to 1864.
March 28
1900 At 8.30 pm, south-east England was briefly flooded in light as a brilliant meteor exploded 50 miles (80 km.) above the Kent coast.
March 29
1000 An earthquake throughout Europe, reported by most of the chroniclers of the time. No particular place is specified.
March 30
1850 A severe gale caused many shipwrecks on the English coast. The steamer Royal Adelaide was wrecked on the Tongue Sand off Margate with 300 lost.
March 31
1761 An earthquake was felt in much of Europe. It agitated the Atlantic and sea disturbances were reported in the West Indies.
